What To Do This Weekend, July 31– August 3

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Bee—don’t say it! (Think you’d really want the help of this wayward poltergeist?) In the spooky, surreal world of Tim Burton, it’s the best way to scare people out of your humble abode while you haunt its hallways in the afterlife. Catch the madness on the big screen this Thursday over at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Admission is free, and the Harry Belafonte that will be stuck in your head is forever.

A wise young man named Zack Morris once said, “You know, I've finally found out the best thing about high school, once you graduate you don't have to come back.” Yep, adulthood totally has its perks. This Friday we’ll be partying with the principal, and there’s no detention in sight. Dennis Haskins (a.k.a. Mr. Belding) joins the Saved by the ‘90s party over at Le Poisson Rouge for a night of dope jams and slick moves. Pull out your acid wash and flannel. It’s gonna be all that and a bag of chips, y’all.

Gather round, witches and wizards, it’s time for PotterCon! According to the folks at The Bell House, it’ll be “the official NYC day-drinking and mingling destination for large children and those of us still desperately awaiting an owl and an acceptance letter.” They’ll have a solid six hours of trivia, a costume contest, a sorting into Hogwarts houses, prizes and spell-casting galore. Admission is free, and muggles will be allowed to attend as long as they promise to dress up.

It’s the late 1940s, and New York is booming. The war is over and the Depression is done. It’s an exciting time to be in the city, and this Sunday, the New York Transit Museum is takin’ us back for a look. The Nostalgia Ride to the Rockaways invites folks to hop aboard one of their post-war fleet of cars on a trip out to the Rockaways. Soak up some sun, play in the waves, build a sand castle, then catch the 4:30 p.m. train back along the A line. Admission is $50 per person.